Silken Shadows
by jasey
Summary: An epilouge of Velvet Tears, or to be read on its own. Your Choice. AU


Disclaimer: All characters, ideas and places that you see here belong to J.K. Rowling. I do not own them, and I am not making any money off of them.  
  
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Spoilers for the epilogue of 'Velvet Tears'. This is a repost due to the plethora of emails and reviewers comments I received. I hope you enjoy.  
  
Cheers! Jasey  
  
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"I think I've got it Professor."  
  
Snape looked up from the sheets of parchment he was grading as a small smile passed over his severe features. Only two students remained in the classroom, both working methodically and quickly on the labs before them. They were his only students in Advanced Potions and Alchemy theories II class. Snape stood and walked up the aisle with his robes billowing behind him. A young man about the age of sixteen was standing before a cauldron, finishing his potion notes as he tossed a glance in the direction of the other student. Snape raised an inquiring eyebrow as he came to stand before him, and the young man passed Snape the notes. Nodding his head in approval as he read, he asked, "Why did you substitute the newt's eyes with bat stomach and apple blossom?"  
  
The young man threw his long hair over his shoulder, "The Bat's stomach has the same effect as the newt's eyes, but has a stronger potency. I used the apple blossoms to counter-act the acidic levels that would be blown out of proportion by using the bat's stomach. While it doesn't effect the potency of the potion, but it would make it safe to drink."  
  
Nodding his head once again, Snape handed the notes back to the young wizard as he said, "Tell me Alec, how long will you let your hair grow before you deem it necessary to cut it?"  
  
Alec was a younger mirror image of himself, that now looked up and raised an inquiring eyebrow before saying, "You don't like it?"  
  
Snape crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the student table in front of the one the younger man was working at. "I didn't say I didn't like it, but I would think that it would become a hazard in my classroom. Do you not plait it when you are on the quidditch pitch?"  
  
"He's making attempts to let it grow longer than Granddad's."  
  
Both men turned a cold glare in direction of the voice that interrupted. The girl ignored both glares and continued working on her potion.  
  
"I don't believe we invited you into this conversation, Raenilyn." Said Alec silkily. The girl smiled to herself and said to her twin, "I don't believe I asked for an invitation either, but your habit to articulate while I'm working is annoying."  
  
It was true that Raenilyn favored his own dark features, but she had the essence and beauty of her mother.  
  
The girl was shorter than her brother by at least five inches; she had smooth porcelain skin, long black wavy hair, and cinnamon brown eyes, which her father had found most enchanting. Snape's lip curled in appreciation to her comment.  
  
Snape smiled, and dropped an affectionate hand to his son's shoulder, before walking to where his daughter was working on the wolfsbane potion for Lupin. It was true that most Potion Masters did not possess the skill to brew the potion, but Snape was smugly satisfied when his children were brewing it perfectly by the age of ten. Glancing at her notes, he watched her technique silently for a moment, before dropping a kiss to her temple and looked up as the door was flung open to reveal a girl about ten years of age.  
  
"Kataya, really!" Snape frowned at the young girl.  
  
"Minerva Kataya Snape!" at the sound of her mother's voice the girl ran to her father, and hid behind his robes. The twins visibly cringed. Snape raised an inquiring eyebrow at the young girl, and smirked when her older sister said, "Hmmm something that merits all three names Kataya. What did you do now?"  
  
Kataya grinned mischievously and attempted to look innocent as she straightened her school robes. The Griffyndor crest caught Snape's eye, and he smiled inwardly. Kataya was the image of her mother; from her long dark brown hair, to her ability to store knowledge away like a library. One of the reasons she was able to attend classes at such a young age. The only part of him she displayed was her eyes. He looked deep into her black depths, and said teasingly," Just like a Griffyndor, always getting into trouble."  
  
The twins were sorted into his own house, which pleased him immensely. But, Kataya, just like her mother displayed a certain disregard for rules that the sorting hat always mistook for bravery. Snape wasn't quite as pleased considering the recent introduction of the youngest Potter child and Weasley twins were also sorted into her year.  
  
"She's in a right mood Daddy." Kataya warned as Hermione revealed herself in the doorway.  
  
Looking up, he smiled at the sight of his wife. Hermione had aged gracefully. Her long hair was still dark and rich with color; her face was just now beginning to show the faint traces of her thirty-eight years. But what Snape loved most about his wife in her mature years, is the fact she was still the same person she always was. Motherhood and the war did not change her. The love for her he felt ran so deep, often wondered why his heart hadn't burst. Hermione stood with her arms across her chest, looking extremely displeased. Looking back at his youngest daughter he asked gently, "Yes, I see that Kataya. What did you do?"  
  
Kataya became very interested in the floor and bent to pick up Archimedes, who was rubbing against her legs.  
  
"Now would be the time to answer the question instead of avoiding it Miss Snape." Said Hermione wryly. Snape could tell she was trying desperately to hide her amusement, but decided not to comment as his youngest daughter stepped out from behind him, holding the black cat protectively against her chest.  
  
"I didn't do anything he didn't deserve!" Kataya said indignantly.  
  
"Who?" asked the twins in unison.  
  
"James Potter!"  
  
Snape flinched at the name, and sighed inwardly. James Potter was godson of his wife, and the youngest son of Harry Potter. Just a shorter version of Harry, Snape wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of his daughter's new friend.  
  
Snape turned to Hermione with raised eyebrows. Hermione winked at him, and said in a stern voice, "She charmed Mr. Potter's broomstick to fly backwards instead of forward. He began at the quidditch pitch, but ended up in greenhouse #4 by entry through the roof. He crashed into several plants, and causing Professor Sprout to faint with shock. He is of course fine, but Professor Sprout will need some time to recover I think."  
  
Raenilyn and Alec's mouths were hanging open in surprise before they both busted up laughing. Kataya looked at the floor in embarrassment, but still couldn't hide her smile that her charm had worked so well. Snape's eyebrows, if possible climbed higher as he smirked at his wife.  
  
"Now tell your father why you did that Kataya."  
  
Kataya looked up at her Mother as her young face went white than red before she said in horror, "No." as she let the cat fall from her arms.  
  
Snape lost his smirk and stepped down to the level Kataya stood on. Crouching down, he took her small slender shoulders in his hands, and smiled as she raised her gaze to his. "Darling, I need to know."  
  
Kataya's face went even redder as she stated flatly, "He tried to kiss me."  
  
The look on Alec's and his father's face was thunderous. But it was Alec's voice that dripped with malice when he asked quietly, "He did what?" Raenilyn who thought it to be rather sweet glared at her twin.  
  
Kataya now truly humiliated buried her face in her fathers' shoulder. Hermione rolled her eyes as Severus had the audacity to look proud. Snape stood up with the girl and carried her down the rest of the aisle.  
  
Raenilyn caught her mother's wink and smiled.  
  
Snape paused for a moment, and then set the young girl down as he stood beside her mother. "Granddad is expecting you in the hospital wing, little girl. He wants you to apologize to Professor Sprout, and I quite agree. Just because James Potter kissed you doesn't make what you did right." Snape said in a quiet and serious voice. Kataya looked ashamedly down at her feet. Snape's heart wrenched slightly but continued. "40 points from Griffyndor, I think. You also have to help Professor Sprout in the Greenhouse until all the damage that was caused has been repaired."  
  
Kataya nodded her head in silent agreement.  
  
"Also, granddad tells me that Hagrid would like your assistance in giving Fang his bath."  
  
The look that crossed all three of the young faces was pure horror. Hermione even crinkled her nose.  
  
"Daddy no!" Kataya protested.  
  
"But granddad already gave his consent. We do have to respect that you know." His voice was pure velvet as he smiled disarmingly.  
  
Kataya hung her head grudgingly. "Okay Daddy."  
  
Snape gave a half smile, and motioned his head towards the door, which opened obligingly. "Go on then." Shuffling and dragging her feet, Kataya made her way out the door with Archimedes in tow.  
  
Raenilyn was the first to speak, "Well I thought it was rather sweet that James Potter likes Kataya."  
  
Alec raised an eyebrow, "Good thing no one asked for your opinion, now isn't it?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"Nor did they ask for yours." Raenilyn replied, as she began cleaning up her table.  
  
"Just where are you off to young lady?" asked Hermione as she made herself comfortable on the edge of the desk next to her husband.  
  
"I need to take this up to Professor Lupin, and I promised Time I'd meet him the library to help him study for the potion section on his N.E.W.T. exam." Hermione's mouth twitched, but said nothing as she received a warning squeeze from her husband. She didn't like the fact that Raenilyn's boyfriend was two years old than her daughter, but Severus had explained that she couldn't say anything because of her own age difference between she and himself. It did help that Time was Ron's son, but not much.  
  
Alec's lip curled in a sneer. "Oh yes of course, going to see Time? That's quite a name you know. You could name your children Minute and Second." Alec sighed dramatically as he leaned back against the edge of his desk, looking into space dreamily. "Ah yes, I can see their sorting now, Minute and Second Weasley. Catching isn't it?"  
  
Snape snorted in amusement, while Hermione glared at her son. "Alec!"  
  
Alec attempted to look as innocent as Kataya did, but failed just as miserably.  
  
"That's all right Mum. He's just upset because Jamie started seeing Guard last week, after they broke up.. Again."  
  
"Why is it again that I confide you, when I could just post it in the Daily Prophet and get it over with?" asked Alec as he shot a dark glare at his sister.  
  
Raenilyn ignored her brother's dark glare and gingerly picked up the smoking goblet and swept out of the room, her black school robes billowing gently behind her.  
  
"Guard Seamus?" asked Hermione quietly as she eyed her son. Alec was defiantly his father's son, from looks and personality to the over-average size of their tempers.  
  
Alec was still glaring at the closed door, and then returned his gaze back to his parents. "Yes."  
  
Jamie Lupin-Black was Alec's long time boyfriend, who were on and off again for three years and still running. Hermione had worried in the beginning of their relationship on how Severus would react. Much to her surprise Snape raised his eyebrows momentarily and then dismissed it with a shrug. He did of course ask exactly whom Alec was dating, and his reaction was definetly not so mellow. Hermione was positive that Griffyndor tower heard every word of his outrage. It had taken sometime, but he had eventually accepted it after Alec and Jaime celebrated their one-year anniversary.  
  
Snape moved off the desk, "Did you put him in the hospital wing Alec?"  
  
Alec looked up from gathering his supplies, smiling wickedly, looking just like his father and said, "No, but Jaime did."  
  
Snape gave a half smile and turned back to his wife who hid her smile by turning around and straightening the parchment on his desk.  
  
Alec made for the door, but stopped at the sound of his father's voice, "I had better see something done about that hair by next class period Alec."  
  
"Yes of course, Dad."  
  
After the door closed behind Alec, Snape took Hermione in his arms and held her close. "What am I going to do with your children Mrs. Snape? A more disobedient, sarcastic, imprudent and disrespectful group I have yet to meet!"  
  
"Even worse than first year double potions with Griffyndor and Slytherin?" Asked Hermione innocently as she buried her nose into his robes.  
  
Snape's strong chest heaved with silent amusement. "No my love. Nothing is worse than that. And may I assure you that your daughter is a raving tyrant in my class? Always trying to help someone with their potion, even the Slytherins."  
  
Hermione smiled against his chest and leaned back slightly in his arms to look into the loving face of her husband. His features were still as dark and severe as ever, all except the silvering of his hair at the temples; he looked just like the same man she fell in love with all those years ago. "My daughter is it? You've spoiled her so rotten that she's very nearly unmanageable!"  
  
"I?"  
  
"Look who she ran to." Commented Hermione teasingly.  
  
Snape smiled gently as he pulled her back to his chest. And pressed his lips to her temple as he sighed. "Yes, but she won't be doing that again anytime soon."  
  
Hermione smiled, "Oh?"  
  
"You forget Fang's bath my dear."  
  
"Oh.yes. Really Severus, I thought that was a bit over the top."  
  
"Did you?" He smiled and shrugged dismissively. "I do have a reputation to uphold."  
  
Hermione stretched up and kissed him gently on the lips, "Ah yes. The evil Potion's Master of Hogwarts. I had indeed forgotten, it has been too long since I had last seen him."  
  
Snape raised an inquiring eyebrow, "Really? Well then Miss Granger, I should be most happy to renew your acquaintance. If you will permit me of course."  
  
Hermione stretched up again and pulled her husband's head down towards her, she smiled mischievously and whispered against his lips. "Of course.Professor." 


End file.
